The goal for the three-year pilot is to fuel new business and jobs in Bluffton and diversify the economy.

At its second monthly meeting on Thursday night, the governing body for the nonprofit Bluffton Technology Incubator Corp. unanimously adopted a $98,000 six-month budget, made procedural and legal moves and talked strategies.

Directors also fine-tuned steps for recruiting and hiring a technology center director, for an advertised salary of around $65,000-$75,000, plus benefits.

As before, the board met at 5:30 p.m. in the executive board room at CareCore National, a health-care benefits management company which is donating the incubator storefront space, in Buckwalter Place.

All seven directors attended. They include Mayor Lisa Sulka and six private citizens appointed by the mayor and Town Council.

The Town of Bluffton is sponsoring the public-private venture through a program offered by Clemson University’s Institute for Economic and Community Development. Bluffton earlier this year was the first of five pilot communities to be picked for Clemson’s “Building the Technology Village” project in non-metropolitan areas.

Other business included talk about recruiting both the start-up prospects and, for financial support, corporate sponsors. The board reviewed a draft promotional letter offered by board Director Matt Green.

Until a center director is hired, Green is keeping a spreadsheet listing incubator business hopefuls.

The application deadline for center director is Jan. 5. A search update will come at the next meeting, at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at CareCore.

Business consultant and administrator Larry Hughes of Hampton Hall — who as a Clemson State Extension Advisory Council member was instrumental in connecting Bluffton to the program — has remained involved and was at the session.

“I was excited when the town stepped up, but I was afraid it would add months to the process.” Instead, he said, the opposite has happened.

For the social hour, Town Manager Anthony Barrett, said by email on Friday: “Terry Finger’s law firm was kind enough to provide the spirits (beer/wine) ($56.00), and the town provided the hors d’oeurves ($119.00).” Finger is the town attorney.

Also after the meeting, board Treasurer Kevin Ryan, CareCore National Inc. executive vice president of specialty products, gave those interested a tour of the incubator space of roughly 2,500 feet.

KEEPING SECRETS

At the meeting, directors agreed to sign confidentiality agreements. They include promises to “not share confidential scientific, technical or commercial information or data of the newly forming or existing companies” without written consent of the company providing it. There are conditions for exceptions, including having already know the information or learning it “from a third party entitled to disclosed it.”

Finger said, “It’s a matter of integrity.”

COMMUNICATIONS

Other procedural steps included agreement for each director to set up town-based email accounts. Nester, a lawyer, said having town accounts also will be good “because then our personal computers would not be subject to a (state Freedom of Information Act request).”

Director Fallon Williams said it will keep incubator-related emails separate from other emails. Director Bea Wray said the specific naming system will make it easy to remember addresses.

BUDGETING

Before the budget vote, board Ryan said he was still working out proposal details, including what rent amounts to charge the future entrepreneurs. “We’re not going to turn anyone away if they’re not able to give us money,” he said.

Getting corporate sponsors also would change things.

But Barrett said, “We would request that you adopt the budget now,” and directors agreed. Having a budget will allow town finance director Shirley Freeman to set up budget accounts and Finger to proceed with filing to make the corporation a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit.

The six-month budget of $98,000 is effective Jan. 1 and coincides with the town’s fiscal year, which ends June 30. The projected one-year budget for July 1, 2012-June 30, 2013 is $187,300.

Both include town-funding of the director’s salary, with $27,100 in the six-month budget and $65,000 in the subsequent full-year budget.

Other revenue would come from rental incomes from the selected entrepreneurs. Though Ryan said the rental amounts and the number of start-up businesses could change, the budget includes six lines for start-up “partners,” each paying rents of $11,250 through June 30, 2012, and of $19,000 for the following full-year.

Barrett, an ex-officio director, and Sulka said the budget can be amended to adjust for later changes. The town has committed to paying the director’s salary and a fee to Clemson for its program support. The budget includes $24,000 for Clemson this fiscal year, and $50,000 next fiscal year.

The six-month budget also includes $11,900 for director benefits, $2,000 for utilities, $2,500 for cable and phone, $1,200 for office supplies, $4,100 for conference/training and $10,000 for contingencies. Under “capital,” it includes $15,000 for a “retrofit” account.

PICKING THE BEST

Sulka appointed directors Thursday to help narrow the director applicants field. She named Williams to work with town Human Resources Director Jessie Hershey and Barrett to weed out the unqualified. She appointed Ryan, Green and director Morris Billingslea to a committee to screen the remaining applicants, propose a set for interviews, and then submit recommendations for full board consideration.

By unanimous agreement only, the board will make a hiring recommendation to Barrett. Then, on the basis of “advice and consent,” he will make the recommended appointment, according to the process outlined Thursday.

HELP WANTED

The ad for a technology center director is on the town’s website at www.townofbluffton.sc.gov It outlines qualifications, job duties and expectations. On the home page, find the “Quick Links” column on the right and click “Employment Opportunities.”

The job announcement was posted Dec. 2 and has been placed elsewhere. The application deadline is Jan. 5.

ROLL CALL

The Bluffton Technology Incubator Board is composed of the sitting mayor and six private citizens appointed by the mayor and Town Council. The board elected Mayor Lisa Sulka, a real estate agent with Carson Realty, as chairman in November.

It also includes Treasurer Kevin Ryan of Savannah, CareCore National Inc. executive vice president of specialty products; Secretary Walter Nester of Bluffton, manager of McNair Law Firm’s Beaufort County unit. Other directors are Matt Green of Bluffton, Buckwalter Place developer; Morris Billingslea of Bluffton, a lawyer; Fallon Williams of Bluffton, a retired New York Life executive, and Bea Wray of Daufuskie Island, information technology entrepreneur.

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